I am here for you Sherlock, and always will be
by ladyrusso55
Summary: After the whole debacle with Magnussen, Sherlock and John need to deal with the threat that Moriarty has managed to reproduce.
1. Chapter 1

Sherlock sat in his chair. He hadn't moved for days. John looked at him, concerned for him. He hadn't eaten, slept, hardly moved. John had no idea what he was supposed to do.

It has been a week since Moriarty's big reveal of his being alive. What worried John the most, was that Sherlock was bothered by it. Nothing bothered Sherlock. Johns guess was Sherlock was upset that Moriarty had tricked him. Granted, he tricked them all.

While Sherlock was immobile, John had done some research of his own. Knowing that Philip had kept tabs after Sherlock's fall, John visited him for some theories.

Philip had been busy after Moriarty appeared. There was a board, just like Sherlock had when he was on a case that was particularly well designed, that covered the entirety of Philips walls.

"What I don't understand here, how! He shot himself in the head!" John shouted at the wall.

"I don't know. I don't recall even seeing a report on it. Hold on-" Philip rustled through a stack of old newspapers.

"What are you doing?" John asked, kneeling down to join Philip on the floor.

"I am looking for the newspaper that reported Sherlocks "death". I don't remember there being a report on a body on the top of Barts. Surely, Scotland Yard would have been up there, looking for clues or something to see why Sherlock might have done what he done." Philip said as he tore through the pile, getting to the bottom, 'aha!'. He read through the paper, and the ones that were dated after.

"Nothing. There is nothing on Moriarty. I wonder…" He pulled out his mobile and dialed a number. "Greg. Yes, hi. I am fine, nothing is wrong. No. Oh, yeah, sure….Okay, no I have a favor. I need the report of Sherlock's "death". Is there another file with it. The report that you made for the rooftop. What do you mean. Oh. Okay. Well find it. We need it. Okay, bye." He hung up the phone and tossed it roughly onto the table.

"Ugh! They don't have it."

"What do you mean they don't have it. It's the bloody police."

"It was misplaced, Lestrade said. How they could have misplaced it, Sally puts everything in order. She has a system." Philip chewed on his thumb. A nasty habit he developed after he got dismissed from Scotland Yard.

"They will find it. I am going to talk to Sherlock, see if he has any developments." John nodded and turned to leave.

"Give him my best. I will keep you updated." Philip said, his back turned to John, gazing at his board.

"Will do." John walked out of the flat and sighed. Philip lived on the other side of town, so John couldn't walk home. Which was inconvenient, he wanted to think. John hailed a cab and asked to be dropped at the market near Baker Street. They were out of milk, again.

"Sherlock, what is it?" John said, concerned, as he answered his mobile. Sherlock never called if he could help it.

"John-" the phone went dead. John dropped the milk that he was holding, and ran back to 221B to reach his friend.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sherlock!" John yelled as he ran up the stairs. He burst into the flat, gasping, looking around. There was noise coming from the kitchen. "Sherlock?" John moved into the kitchen. Sherlock was digging in the fridge, throwing things out of it. A jar of eyes flew towards the table, and shattered as it hit the floor.

"Sherlock! What are you doing? What happened?" John stood awestruck at the mess occurring in the small room. Sherlock turned around, looking gaunt. He hadn't eaten, slept or done anything in days.

"I can't find the milk. Where did you put it?" Sherlock looked at John with a stern look. He "read" him and stood upright.

"That is what you called me for. I was buying milk! Jesus. You just can't call me and hang up all dramatic like! I thought something had happened!" Sherlock looked down. He didn't realize.

"John-I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." John felt his mouth dropped. Ever since he came back, he has been so thoughtful. He apologized more, he was more human than he ever was. It was creepy.

"Its fine. Why don't you come with me to buy the milk, so the next time you can do it yourself." Sherlock's eyes lit up. Since the wedding, John hadn't had much time with Sherlock, getting all the baby's stuff ready and all. Mary was about to pop any moment now, and he needed to be ready. She was on bed rest now, and needed John at home most of the time.

"Yes. I would enjoy that." Sherlock went to his room, John assumed to get changed. John went through the cupboards and the fridge to see what else needed to be bought. He made a list and waited for Sherlock in the sitting room. He sat in his chair, looking out the window and out into the world. Even though it was level at a window in the flat across the street. He saw people moving around in the window. A woman, from the looks of it, and a man. The woman, black hair, very short was talking seriously to the man. He had business cut black hair and was wearing a very nice suit. John was intrigued with the conversation, whether he could hear it or not. He thought the woman looked familiar, but he couldn't place her face.

He heard Sherlock walk into the room, so he got up, ready to go. Sherlock stood there, still in his bathrobe, suit underneath, holding his harpoon.

"Oh no! You are not going to the market with a harpoon Sherlock! You will get the police called on you!" Sherlock looked at John confused.

"Why not? Isn't that what every one does? I thought it was a thing." John looked at Sherlock, shocked.

"No. It is not a thing. Go put it away, and lets go." Sherlock pouted the whole market trip. He enjoyed looking at the fruit, he liked to deduce the people that picked it. How he could tell…John didn't know. They paid, Sherlock was curious about why they went through the self check-out, but he understood why afterwards. John liked to have rows with machines. It was amusing to Sherlock.

They both carried the groceries up to the flat and set it on the counter. Sherlock went to his computer and got on it immediately. John shook his head and started putting the stuff away. John finished and went to sit back in his chair. Looking out the window, the woman who was in the window earlier was there again. This time just looking out the window, right into ours. She was staring intently, as if she was trying to get our attention.

"Sherlock-" John said, getting up out of his chair. He moved towards the window. The woman was familiar to him.

"Hmm?" Sherlock said, still focused on the laptop.

"It's The Woman."


	3. Chapter 3

"What." Sherlock said. He didn't look up from the laptop, but he wasn't focusing on anything.

"The Woman. She is across the way. Looking right into our flat, Sherlock." Sherlock got up to glance out the window. Sure enough, she was there. She smiled when Sherlock came into view.

She moved away from the window, out of sight. John didn't say anything, he just watched Sherlock for his reaction.

Sherlock moved quickly. He pulled off his bathrobe and smoothed his suit in the front.

"Come on John. We have some unfinished business to attend." The left the flat and moved hastily across the street into the next building. They moved up the stairs to the second floor and paused, John directionally confused for a moment, until Sherlock knocked on the door to the left.

The door opened and Sherlock stepped inside, John followed. There was tea on, John could smell it in the doorway. The flat wasn't decorated much. There were a few pictures of unknown people. Wouldn't be friends, John didn't think that someone like Miss Adler had friends. It was small flat, but modest. Miss Adler had put tea on, and handed Sherlock and John a cup as they sat on the couch.

"You are back." Sherlock said, before taking a sip of his tea.

"Yes." Miss Adler said softly, taking a sip of hers.

"Where were you?"

"America, France, Germany, Japan, just got back a few months ago. Granted I haven't left the flat for a week. Ever since that thing on TV."

"Yes, about that…I need your help." Sherlock finished his tea and set down the cup. He looked at her intently, with his hands under his chin, like he always does.

"The Virgin needs my help, how adorable."

"No need to get sassy, Miss Adler. You are not in power here. You never will be again. So shut up and listen. I need information. You are going to give it to me." Sherlock said, annoyed.

"I read the papers. About you and that whore. They were interesting reads, those articles. No doubt fake. She wasn't even pretty."

John raised his eyebrows, "Jealous much?"

Sherlock chuckled, but said nothing. Miss Adler looked down at the floor. Not looking at either of them. John noticed that she looked strained. She lost weight, so she looked very skinny. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was stringy. She was not the Irene Adler we had come to know and love to hate.

"About the information. I want you to take up clients that are close to Moriarty, I mean, you know how to get information from people, if you know what they like. Except, this time you are working with me to take him down. He needs to be stopped, Irene, for everyones sake. He is more dangerous this time than last, this time he is more focused. More determined to get rid of me. I need your help, please."

Miss Adler didn't say anything. She took the tea cups from the table and took them into the kitchen.

"I agree. He needs to be taken down, Mr. Holmes. But what are you willing to sacrifice for his fall from power. Your humanity, your heart, even your brain? I will help you, Mr. Holmes. But you will owe me."

"Thank you." Sherlock said, getting up and buttoning his suit. John got up after, nodded to Miss Adler and followed Sherlock out the door.

"So what next, Sherlock?" John said, trying to keep pace.

"We need to take a visit to St. Barts. Molly is going to get us something that could help us." John hailed a cab and they both climbed in.

"St. Barts." Sherlock said.

"OH surrreee. Anything for you, Sherlock." Moriarty said, turning around smiling devilishly.


End file.
